Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School

by Tea Rozman Clark (Editor), Green Card Voices (Editor)

"Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School" is a collection of thirty personal essays written by immigrant students from LEAP High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Included with each essay is a link to a first-person video narrative. Coming from thirteen different countries, these young people share their life journeys in their own words. Some fled xenophobia, others came to be reunited with family, and all left behind loved ones: parents, children, friends. Throughout it all, each of these young people exhibits tremendous resiliency, courage, and unabashed hope as they imagine their futures in this new country.

The digital and written narratives in this book are exceptional resources for anyone looking to learn more about the human side of the immigrant experience. By seeing ourselves reflected in each of these stories, we begin to build the necessary bridges that will bring us towards a deeper understanding of one another.

Includes: study guide, glossary, and links to video narratives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays

142 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Pondie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love hearing these students stories. The students voices are so important to hear. I will definitely use these stories in my classroom. I wish the stories themselves went more in depth and did not always follow the same formula.

[Leona Vann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honored to read these amazing stories.

[CTEP]

This month I read Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School. The book is a collection of 30 essays written by youth attending LEAP High School in St. Paul. LEAP High School is an all-immigrant high school and is part of the St. Paul Public School system. Each personal essay details their immigration story and other important stories they wish to share. This book is one of a series published by the organization, Green Card Voices. Green Card Voices was established in 2013 as a storytelling platform whose aim was to build bridges and create empathy between immigrant and non immigrant populations.

During my service at the library, I often interact with immigrant adults, especially during my outreach and volunteering at the Roseville Adult Learning Center. However, I have not had many opportunities to work with and learn from youth, especially immigrant youth. I appreciated getting the chance to read their immigration stories from their points of view and learn about their challenges, fears, and goals. Each story is unique and offers a new perspective on immigration and life in America.

Another interesting aspect of this book is that each written essay is accompanied by a video on the Green Card Voices website (www.greencardvoices.com). This digital connection enhances the reading experience and brings each author to life. I loved being able to watch, as well as read about these youth. I believe having these stories available in different forms helps the organization's goal of building bridges and creating empathy by making these stories accessible on multiple platforms.

I highly recommend this book (and website!) to fellow CTEPs, especially those working with youth, immigrants, or digital storytelling. The digital and written narratives are wonderful resources for anyone looking to learn more about the human side of the immigrant experience. I'm looking forward to reading the Green Card Entrepreneur Voices book, which I discovered while browsing their website, as well as attending a Green Card Youth Voices reading sometime in the near future!

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honest writing from immigrant high school students. I felt like the narratives were very similar in several ways. They discussed many of the same things like where they lived before, their journey to the US, who they live with, etc. The stories I found most interesting were ones that explained in greater detail what life was like in their home countries. I think the stories could have an even more powerful impact if they were interwoven together by an experienced author.

[Green Voices · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful resource for anyone who is looking to learn about others' experiences. It helps put a human face to the current immigration debate and the series is especially useful in classroom settings because young Americans can more easily relate to the stories of people their own age.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for the 2020 Book Riot Read Harder Chalenge, YA nonfiction category.

[Karen Hatlestad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book showcasing stories of high school immigrants. A great easy read into how the immigration system works and how it impacts people.